Martial Arts Talk The Aftermath Part 2
by Kevin Joe Bays
Summary: In the aftermath of the talk show Martial Arts Talk, Ranma must now face life from a new perspective. This is a contemplative piece.


Chapter 6version 1.0  
  
Warning: Ranma has to deal with the idea of sex and what it means to him. Since he's been so afraid of it most of his life, now that he's been exposed to it, he has to change, but will he change for the better?  
  
Be aware, I was shooting for a philosophical out look on the first part of this story. It's mainly Ranma's thoughts, which really are my thoughts if I were Ranma. It's my attempt to figure out why he's such a wreak around women that try to get close to him.  
  
Ranma reappeared inside the dojo. In his right hand was proof that he really did have sex with three girls at the same time. He had their panties and for once, he almost felt them giving him strength.  
  
'Careful or you'll end up like the freak...,' Ranma thought. 'Maybe this is how he got started...'  
  
He held the lacy garments up to his nose and inhaled, hoping that the scent would remind him of why he'd tried to avoid them. Instead of finding what he wanted, they brought a sense of completion to him that he'd never felt. All the stress he had melted away as the scent filled his nostrils.  
  
"It's official. I'm a pervert... Damn it, why does the scent of these bring me so much peace?" he lamented as he stuffed them into his pockets and began to meditate.  
  
'I've spent my entire life afraid of women. Afraid of what they'd do to me, of what they'd think of me. I've never let myself get even remotely close to a girl out of fear that she would some how betray me and hurt me... but why have I had these fears?  
  
'This fear has been with me long before I met Akane. What is it? Is it because my mother let that sack of shit Genma take me from her. She let him put me through hell. And when I returned, all she could do is worry about how manly I am... Could this be it?  
  
'It has nothing to do with that last part. I only learned of the contract she had me and Pop sign less then a year ago. But the rest... I've always wondered why... I mean, doesn't she love me? Did she really trust Pop? What could have made her sign that devil's deal?...  
  
'But I sit here and blame her as if it would solve anything... I've got to deal with this.  
  
'When those three girls got on me, unclothed me, and did this and that with me, I'd never felt more frightened in my entire life. I was bare for them to see. All of me, my scares, my shame... I was left with nothing to hide the truth of my life from them... The could see it all and judge me based on it.  
  
'They didn't judge you. In fact, they'd never met me before that night and yet they showed me affection. Sure, it was just sex, but I couldn't see any judgement at all in their eyes, even though they could see all of me. Instead of hating me, thinking me a monster or a pervert, they accepted me. Accepted every inch of me.  
  
'I remember how one of them traced her fingers along each of the scares on my body. She kissed them as she started and as she finished. She saw no shame in them. She saw only strength and she showed him compassion in exchange.'  
  
"Earth to Ranma?" Ranma blinked his eyes. Akane was standing before him and he couldn't help smile.  
  
"Hey Akane. What's up?"  
  
"Not much... Have you been here the entire time?"  
  
"Yeah, more or less... Been doin a lot of thinking about girls," as he said that he almost slapped himself.  
  
"Oh, I see. Perverted thoughts ah?"  
  
"I don't know...," Akane was shocked by this answer since normally he'd deny having bad thoughts completely. "Akane?"  
  
"What Ranma?"  
  
"I can't figure it out. Why am I always so... messed up when it comes to women?"  
  
"I don't know Ranma. Maybe because your a pervert?" as Akane said this, she suddenly realized Ranma was being serious. She looked deep into his eyes and saw he was in pain. "Ranma, what happened?"  
  
"Huh, oh I'd tell you, but I'm certain you wouldn't believe me."  
  
"Try me."  
  
"Let's just say I got to see myself from two different angles and I didn't like one of them until I realized he was so comfortable around women. He didn't have trouble talking, hugging, and even kissing them in a friendly way. He was so comfortable it made me wonder why I wasn't."  
  
"Ok... Sounds like you met your past and future selves."  
  
"Yeah... Hey, how'd you know?"  
  
"Cause, I just got back. Some guy named Mark Saotome took me to this weird show and I saw myself when I was six and twenty-six."  
  
"What did you think of them?"  
  
"At first I was angry... I thought there's no way I was this way as a child... or I'd say I can't become like that as an adult..., but in the end, I've got no proof that I won't..."  
  
"I hear you..."  
  
"Personally, I was surprised by something I noticed," Akane quietly said. "I noticed that the way I was as a child and the way I was as an adult were very similar and yet nothing like I am. They seemed to be free. Doing whatever came to mind... It makes me wonder why as a teenager, I can't be as free..."  
  
"Cause, we're in a transition point in our lives. Everything we do decides how we'll turn out in the next ten years..." as he said this, he realized it. "Take my fear of being around women. I want people to respect me. All people, but if I'm to close, I'm afraid they'll think I'm only interested in their bodies. So I've blocked myself from ever noticing... So that what people see of me when I'm grown up is what I want them to see, not what they formed from my bad decisions"  
  
"That really makes sense... Ranma? How'd you get so smart all of a sudden?"  
  
"I guess when you meet yourself, you have to take a closer look. This means, you can't ignore what you did before."  
  
"Ranma, the thinker... Guess I can't call you a moron."  
  
"Do me a favor. Keep it up. I'm not ready to change. I want to continue in this state of change and growth for a little while longer."  
  
"Me too, but from no on, let's do it for us. Not our image..."  
  
"Agreed."  
  
Brief summary of what you just read.  
  
Ranma's real problem is two fold.  
  
One, his fear of women started with his mother. He was given to his father and he blames all his hardship on women in general. This causes a mistrust of them.  
  
Two, during the teen years, children's personalities become unstable. They are at a point where they have to make so many choices and take on so many responsibilities that it causes them to act out of character a lot. While making these choices, we give others their first real impressions of us. Ranma has become afraid that others will see him in a way that isn't him, so he projects what he wants them to see, preventing them from seeing his entire personality and making up their own minds.  
  
I hope this makes sense. I'm just an amateur when it comes to how people think. Now, back to the story.  
  
Ranma found himself sitting alone again. Akane left to practice cooking, saying something about tasting her food as she made it.  
  
'Good luck Akane...' he thought. "I wish my problems could be solved by simply tasting things as I go."  
  
(Thanks again for reading. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this one or not, but if the demand is high enough, I will seperate it into it's own story. If not, this is it for teenage-Ranma. Next comes a chapter on adult Ranma. I hope I'll even be able to write in a clean enough format to let it be posted...) 


End file.
